"Very well. You may begin."
Professor Thorne waves her hand, and exam papers appear on every desk
I stare down at mine.
Arethia University Intelligence Examination
Time Limit: 3 Hours
Instructions: Answer all questions to the best of your ability. Show your work where applicable.
Now my dad's dream visits weren't just about teaching me the magic restrainer spell; they were about so much more. He taught me world history, (that's how I found out he was over three thousand years old… which is honestly wild). He taught me different kinds of magic spells too, even the lost, ancient ones no one talks about anymore. But more than that, he taught me everything about magic itself—how it began, where it came from, and how it's supposed to be used. And honestly? I'm pretty sure I can rival any professor here.
I flip to the first page.
Section One: Strategic Analysis
Question 1: You are leading a team of five mages into hostile territory. Your objective is to retrieve a magical artifact from a heavily guarded fortress. You have one fire mage, one water mage, one earth mage, one air mage, and one healer. The fortress has three entry points: the main gate (heavily guarded), a side entrance (trapped with magical wards), and an underground tunnel (unstable and prone to collapse). Design a strategy that maximizes your chances of success while minimizing casualties. Consider magical strengths, weaknesses, and environmental factors.
I read the question three times.
I should write something mediocre. Something that shows I tried but didn't quite get it right.
But my brain is already working through the problem.
The main gate is a distraction. Too obvious. They'd expect a frontal assault, which means they'd have their strongest defenses there.
The side entrance with the magical wards is interesting. A water mage could potentially disrupt the wards if they're fire-based, or an earth mage could create a barrier against them if they're elemental. But that's risky.
The underground tunnel is the best option. Yes, it's unstable, but that's where the earth mage comes in. They could reinforce the structure as the team moves through. The air mage could scout ahead, the fire mage could provide light and combat support, the water mage could handle any underground water sources or steam vents, and the healer stays in the middle of the formation for protection.
I start writing before I can stop myself.
Strategy: Utilize the underground tunnel as the primary entry point. Position the earth mage at the front to stabilize the tunnel structure as we advance. Air mage scouts ahead using wind currents to detect traps or enemies. Fire mage provides illumination and serves as primary combat support. Water mage handles environmental hazards. Healer remains in the center of the formation, protected by the others. Once inside the fortress, split into two teams: Team A (fire and air mages) creates a diversion in the main hall, drawing guards away from the artifact location. Team B (earth and water mages, plus healer) retrieves the artifact. Extraction via the same tunnel, with the earth mage collapsing sections behind us to prevent pursuit.
I sit back and read what I wrote.
That's too good... way too good.
I should cross it out and write something worse.
But the next question is already catching my eye.
Question 2: A magical plague is spreading through a city. It affects mages differently based on their elemental affinity. Fire mages experience uncontrolled combustion, water mages slowly dehydrate, earth mages' bodies begin to petrify, and air mages suffocate despite having access to oxygen. You have limited resources and time. How do you prioritize treatment, and what magical theory would you apply to develop a cure?
Oh, this is interesting.
The plague is clearly targeting the connection between mages and their elements. It's not a physical disease but a magical one, something that disrupts the natural flow of elemental energy.
The cure wouldn't be traditional medicine. It would need to be a counter-spell or a magical balancing agent. Something that restores the equilibrium between a mage and their element.
I start writing again.
The plague targets the elemental bond, creating an inverse reaction. Fire mages combust because their internal fire is being amplified beyond control. Water mages dehydrate because their water element is being drained. Earth mages petrify because their earth element is overwhelming their organic tissue. Air mages suffocate because their air element is being repelled.
Priority: Treat air mages first, as suffocation leads to death most quickly. Then water mages (dehydration), then fire mages (combustion can be temporarily suppressed), then earth mages (petrification is slowest).
Cure: Develop a neutralizing spell that temporarily severs the elemental bond, allowing the body to reset. This would require a combination of all four elements in perfect balance, administered by a mage with no elemental affinity or a healer with neutral magic. After the bond is severed, gradually reintroduce the elemental connection in controlled doses until the mage's natural balance is restored.
I move on to the next question.
And the next.
And the next.
Each one is more interesting than the last. Tactical scenarios, theoretical problems, logic puzzles that twist and turn in ways that make my brain light up with excitement.
I forget where I am.
I forget everything except the pure joy of solving these problems.
Section Two: Magical Theory
Question 8: Explain the relationship between elemental magic and emotional states. How does a mage's emotional control affect their magical output? Provide examples and discuss the theoretical limits of emotion-based magical amplification.
I write about how fear can dampen magic, how anger can amplify it but reduce control, how calm focus creates the most stable and powerful spells. I discuss the theoretical concept of emotional resonance, where a mage's feelings align perfectly with their element, creating exponential power increases.
Section Three: Advanced Problem-Solving
Question 15: You are trapped in a room with no visible exits. The walls are made of enchanted stone that absorbs all elemental magic. You have a piece of chalk, a mirror, and a candle. How do you escape?
This one makes me smile.
It's a trick question. The room doesn't absorb all magic, just elemental magic. Which means non-elemental magic would still work.
I write about using the chalk to draw a runic circle, using the mirror to reflect and amplify the candle's light into a focused beam, and using that amplified light to create a non-elemental cutting spell that would slice through the stone.
Or, alternatively, using the mirror to find a hidden exit by reflecting light at different angles, since the question says there are no "visible" exits, not that there are no exits at all.
I'm on a roll now.
Question after question, I tear through them with an ease that should probably concern me.
But it doesn't.
Because this is fun.
This is the most fun I've had since arriving at this academy.
I flip to the next page.
Section Four: Magic History
*Question 23: The Codex Luminaris, written by Archmage Vaelind the Wise in 823 of the Second Age, contains detailed instructions for the Seventh Seal of Binding—a spell requiring the caster to channel power through their maternal bloodline. However, the Scrolls of Keth'mar, penned by Vaelind's own apprentice Lyssa mere three years later, explicitly state that Vaelind had no living relatives and was the last of his line, orphaned in infancy. Furthermore, Vaelind's personal journals (discovered in 1891 of the Fourth Age) mention that he successfully cast the Seventh Seal at least twice in his lifetime. Given that all three sources have been verified as authentic by the Council's Historical Preservation Committee, explain this apparent impossibility. Your answer must address: (1) how Vaelind could have cast a bloodline spell with no bloodline, (2) why his own apprentice would contradict the Codex, and (3) what this reveals about the true nature of bloodline magic. Support your argument with magical theory.*
I stare at the question.
Then I read it again.
And again.
This one... this one actually stumps me.
Three authentic sources. All verified. All contradicting each other. How could Vaelind cast a bloodline spell with no bloodline? That's not just a historical puzzle—it's a magical impossibility.
Unless one of the sources is lying? But they're all authenticated. The Council's Historical Preservation Committee doesn't make mistakes like that.
Maybe Vaelind did have family that Lyssa didn't know about? But she was his apprentice. She would have known. And his own journals confirm he was orphaned.
Could he have faked casting the spell? But why would he write detailed instructions for a spell he couldn't actually perform? That would ruin his reputation if anyone discovered the truth.
I tap my pen against the paper, frustrated.
Think, Amara. Think.
What did Dad teach me about bloodline magic?
I close my eyes, trying to remember those dream lessons. Dad had talked about bloodline spells once, hadn't he? Something about how modern mages misunderstand them...
"The greatest lie the Council ever told," Dad's voice echoes in my memory, "was that magic is in the blood. Magic is never in the blood, Amara. It's in the bond."
The bond.
My eyes snap open.
Oh.